Overview
R. B. Cunninghame Graham was a well-known and hugely influential figure in late 19th- and early 20th-century Scottish politics and literature. This book explores Graham's early political views, his time as a Member of Parliament, his disillusionment with the Liberal Party and his reputation as the first declared 'socialist' MP. Using documentary evidence and tangible philosophical links, the book traces Graham's early political influences derived directly or indirectly from key 19th-century figures, particularly William Morris. It also examines Graham's anti-imperialist, anti-colonial and anti-racist speeches and writings, and his active support for women's rights and universal suffrage. Lachlan Munro strips away the mythology surrounding Graham to reveal an altogether more complex picture, exploring his political and literary achievements, during a time of enormous political, economic and cultural upheaval the reverberations of which are still ongoing.
Full Product Details
Author: Lachlan Gow Munro
Publisher: Edinburgh University Press
Imprint: Edinburgh University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.60cm
, Height: 2.10cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.649kg
ISBN: 9781474498265
ISBN 10: 1474498264
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 31 March 2022
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Manufactured on demand
We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier.
Reviews
"I have never read a narrative which explains the history of nationalism and the birth of the SNP as well and as good, and with the detail, actions and thought processes as this. I love the book; it should be on sale in every Scottish section of every bookshop in the land.-- ""Dr. Elspeth King, Former Director of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum"" Should anyone be seeking a subject for a good film, I give them the crazy life of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham. Lachlan Munro's book [...] explores the tale of the rebel landowner, politician and adventurer who shaped modern Scotland.--Melanie Reid ""The Times"" The book is a national treasure.--Laurence Davies, King's College This is a great achievement, a very full and thoroughly documented account. I am full of admiration for this very scrupulous account, and for Munro's determination not to simplify what is necessarily complex. This is an honest and well-balanced description of a personality so hard to categorise: the research is exemplary.""-- ""Cedric Watts, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex"" This thoroughly researched book is the first attempt to untangle the Graham legend, both as a rabble-rousing politician and as a prolific author. [...] Anyone interested in the early labour movement in Scotland, and how a significant part of it 'morphed' into the National Party, then the SNP, as political circumstances and priorities changed, will find this book an eye-opener.--Gerry McGarvey ""Scottish Left Review"""
This is a great achievement, a very full and thoroughly documented account. I am full of admiration for this very scrupulous account, and for Munro’s determination not to simplify what is necessarily complex. This is an honest and well-balanced description of a personality so hard to categorise: the research is exemplary."" * Cedric Watts, Emeritus Professor of English, University of Sussex * I have never read a narrative which explains the history of nationalism and the birth of the SNP as well and as good, and with the detail, actions and thought processes as this. I love the book; it should be on sale in every Scottish section of every bookshop in the land. * Dr. Elspeth King, Former Director of the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum * This thoroughly researched book is the first attempt to untangle the Graham legend, both as a rabble-rousing politician and as a prolific author. [...] Anyone interested in the early labour movement in Scotland, and how a significant part of it ‘morphed’ into the National Party, then the SNP, as political circumstances and priorities changed, will find this book an eye-opener. -- Gerry McGarvey * Scottish Left Review * Should anyone be seeking a subject for a good film, I give them the crazy life of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham. Lachlan Munro's book [...] explores the tale of the rebel landowner, politician and adventurer who shaped modern Scotland. -- Melanie Reid * The Times * The book is a national treasure. -- Laurence Davies, King’s College
Author Information
Lachlan Gow Munro is an Independent Scholar. Born and brought up in Stirlingshire, he holds first class honours degrees in History and Politics, and a PhD in History from the University of Glasgow. He is the editor of An Eagle in a Hen-House: Selected Political Speeches and Writings of R. B. Cunninghame Graham, Deveron Press, 2017.
